Bunny pooping everywhere, eating slower

[Brownie]

The summary says almost everything but here is some background information:
My little girl, Brownie, came home and was immediately a well behaved rabbit when it came to potty issues. She always peed and pooped in her cage. No prior potty training. She turned 6 months a few weeks ago and the day before I noticed off things happening she was extremely angry. Would not let me pet her or even get my hand near her. The next day she obeyed everyone who wanted to pet her. This continued for about a week. Then, all of a sudden, she began to pee anywhere on the carpet and now, she will poop while she’s hoping around or if she gets scared by a noise or she will just poop while licking herself clean. She even pooped herself once in her sleep.

She has also been eating a lot slower, she gets fed pellets only in the morning and at night. I try to do this exactly twelve hours apart. Usually at 9 am and at 9 pm. She used to finish the pellets I served her in one sitting and now she will only eat a few and then lay somewhere and Then return later for a few more and so on. She’s also a lot calmer. She doesn’t do her crazy sprints all over the apartment as often anymore.

Is this normal? She hasn’t been spayed yet. I’m waiting for my winter break to do that.

[Bam]

It sounds like normal bunny puberty. It can be like that, like the flipping of a switch. One day a cuddly baby, the next a total diva who wants nothing to do with you and who aggressively defends her space. The pee-and-poop-marking is also very typical. It doesn’t matter how well you litter-train a baby rabbit, when puberty hits, the urge to mark territory becomes irresistible. It’s not by choice, it’s an instinct.

So what you should do now, I think, is see about having her spayed. Girl rabbits should be spayed for health-reasons alone, but it will also take care of the not-so-charming hormone-driven behaviors you’re seeing now.

It’s natural for bunnies to binky/run around less and sleep more during the day and, ideally, to eat less as they mature. But she shouldn’t be lethargic and she shouldn’t stop eating, if she does, there’s sth wrong. But as long as she eats, drinks, poops and pees and doesn’t sit hunched up or hide herself away in weird places, this sounds perfectly consistent with bunny puberty.

[Brownie]

Thank you so much this is very comforting to hear. I was terrified something was wrong with her. I’m a college student and cannot afford various expensive treatments so I am very glad this is normal. I will be getting her spayed as soon as possible. 

[Author]

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